Traditionally, farming and agriculture has been viewed as a very male-dominated role. However, women have always played an important part in practical and administrative agricultural work.,* although their contributions were often overlooked and ignored.
To combat this, a group of women who believed they deserved the same access to education and employment in land work** founded the WFGA – Women’s Farm and Garden Association – in 1899.
Although you may not have heard of the WFGA, you will have heard of the Women’s Land Army – the initiative to encourage women to make up for the land labour shortage caused by conscription.
Well, did you know that the Land Army was an idea brought about by one of the WFGA’s founding members, Louisa Wilkins?** What started as a small volunteer-led operation, became a movement so popular that it was adopted by the government and became one of the most important groups during the wartime for the survival of British food supply.***
Here’s a photo of our mum, Margaret Louise Elizabeth “Lou” Stuart (née Sherlock) from her time as a Land Girl
